Folding case.



H. BRAEN. FOLDING CASE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1914.

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l \L i l I /NVENO wl- .MUHNM Patented Nov. 24,` 1914.

l/e/Lrydf? H. BRAEN.

FOLDING CASE. PPLIUATION FILED MAY 18'. 1914.

Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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HENRY BRAEN, or rafrnn'son, Nic-W misser.

FOLDING CASE.

c To all fw/zom it may concern.'

members and the cover,

Be it known that I, HENRY BRAEN, a citi- 'zen of the United States,residing at Paten son, in the county of Passaic and State ot' NewJersey, have invented certain new and, useful Improvements in FoldingCases, of which the ,following is a specilication.

This invention relates to extensible and collapsible cases or cabinets,and it consistsy l1n certain improvements whereby the several receivingmembers of such a case or cabinet are capable of moving from theposition where they stand superimposed on each other Vto the`positionwhere they stand yall with their upper surfaces more or less level, thebetter or more effectively.l to display their contents, and whereby onopening or closing the case or cabinet the several receivingmembers-move in synchrony each as a unit ol a lever system.

For the purpose of fully explaining the p various combinations andarrangements oi' parts'of my iiivention Whichlare hereinafter embodiedin the clauses of the claim I have illustrated the invention in theaccompany ing drawing in its preferred form, wherein,

Figure l is a side elevation of the, im

roved case or cabinet, fully open and partly rokenavvay ;V Fig. 2 is asimilar view showing the cabinet, tpartlyopen; Fig. 3 is a similar View,showing the cabinet closed; Fig. 4 is a plan view, the cabinet beingfully open; and, Fig. 5 is a sectional view illustrating a modification.

In .said drawings, and referring first to Figs. 1 to 4', t is therectangular body of the cabinet, the-same having a bottom wall b andfour lateralI walls e, cf, of which the Walll c is somewhat lower thantheother three.. The body a forms a su porting structurey for a systemof parts inc uding a, plurality `of receiving .or tray-like members anda cover member and suitable connections between them v'vhereby in theclosed 45.

condition of the case or cabinet thereceiv-` ing members will arrangedone above the ',-other and. thev cover member superimposedupon the body-andwhereby when the case or cabinet is opened the tworeceiving whichAis-then verte'd and which may formv an. aiiiiliary receiving member,stand all substantially at the same'level so that their contents are un''obstructed-ly exposed to view. -"The,. lower vrsi'sceivingmembervcqmprises a `pair ofend Specification-of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 18, 1914.

Patented. N ov. 24, 191 4.

s Serial No. 839,225.

'frames d and the tray or receiving member proper c resting ou saidendframes, the whole haring a dimension transverselyof the case or labinclsomeivhat less than the interior transverse dimension oi'vsaid cabi-`netT so that said receiving member is Capa-4 ble oi' some lateral motioninthe case or cabinet. To' prevent such motion of the receiving memberor tra y proper e A.with respect to its supporting frames (Z, however,`the latter are preferably priivided with the upstanding conlinii'iglugsrlf". When the lower receiving member is constructed as describedits `tray or* receiving member proper e may be removed from the frames dso that access maybe had `to the con'- tents of the cabinet in thebottom thereof.

The upper receiving member ortray con each other, and describing thesameastheV several parts appear in Fig.` 3,1'. designates tvvo pairs ofparallel angular levers each fulcrumed in a strip j, attached to theinside or' an. end wall of the `caso or cabinet, on a horizontal pivotj` and.' having ,upwardly inclined long arms pivoted to `the end framesf of'the upper receiving `member or tray and downwardly extending shortarms pivotally connected with the frames (Z of the lower receivingImember or tray, the fulcrum of each 'lever being;r disalined with thepoints of pivotal connect-lon between its arms and said framesf andfl.Thus fthe levers are adapted to `swing u and. over to .the left foropeningthe ca inet, -l'rom the position in `which riheyappear in l-"ig.3 to the position lin. which the' appear in Fig. "l, and in suchmovement tic lower" ceiving .member movessliglitly to the if and then tothe left, Wh'le the upper receiving member moves first up 'and thendoivn iu the arcl of a circle, the limit to theseslwerul movements beingdetermined by the er tremities of the long arms of the'right hand leversin Fig. 3 coming to rest upon the :Eulcrum portions of .the left hand'levers whose short arms are slightlyj olie-ct, as shown., y" thispurpose. To more equally 'distri thcl strain and insure the upperreceiving member reinainii rigid and firmly,v supported when in the openposition (Fig. l) I provide the aforesaid contacting portions of thelevers z' with the interlocking teeth 7c.

The cover 7i is connected at its left lower edge tlfig. 3) with the lettupper edge of the upper receiving member by the hinges 7. When.therefore. it is swung to the open posi on so that its normal under sideis uppermost, it is flush with the upper receiving member and is thensupported by Contact. ot' what is its left side in Fig. 3 with the leftside of the said receiving member.

One of the principal objects ot' this invention is to accomplish asynchronous opening of the case or extension of its several receivingmembers upon movement of that one thereof which forms its cover. To thisend, I extend the extremities oi the long arms of the lett-hand levers zbeyond their points of pivotal connection with the upper receivingmember and connect such extremities with the cover by the links It willthus be seen that when the cover is moved on its hinges Z it obtains apurchase, through thelinks. on the levers z' acting to extend orcollapse the whole system.

ItI will be'understood that the opening a which is afforded above thewall o of the body is nniinly'provided so that when the severalreceiving members are extended they may occupy the Hatwise positionalready described and not project materially above the top of the body.For closing this openingl when the case or cabinet is closed I providethe wall 0 hinged to an extension p oi the bottom of the body andconnected with the left hand levers z' oy the links g. Although theextended system of parts is substantially supported by the contactinglevers z' (es pecially when interlocked, as herein described) the wall oand links g will assist in supporting them provided there is means, asr, on which wall o can rest in the open positon.

In the modification shown in F 5 the Wall s for closing the opening n ishinged to the upper edge of the wall c', t being links connecting theleft hand levers z' with lthe wall s and corresponding to the levers g.In this case, in the open position of the Wall s the same rests fiatagainst the wall c.

My improved cabinet or case has been devised especially es a tool kit tobe placed upon the running board of an automobile; but it will beunderstood that it has many other uses.

It will be apparenh' in view of the toreA going description, that theopening or closing movement of the cover h involves extending orcollapsing the entire system of parts of which the cover forms a part,and that the character of the connections is such that throughout themovement all the parts move togethenA always under the control of themaster member constituted by the clover. The slight movement which thclower receiving member has to the right and left is su'llicient so thatits upper .lctt corner clears the lower right corner oi the upper receiving member as they pass each other, and in the extending movementresults in very littlc space being lett between said members. as shownin Fig. l. o

Having thus fullydescrihed my invention, what I Claim as new and desireto secure bv Letters Patent is l. In combination, with asmpportingstruorui-o, an extensible and. collapsible system of partsincluding a pair of receiving members arranged one above the other. andsubstantiallyv parallel levers connecting and supporting said membersand each tulcrnmed between its points of pivotal connection with saidmembers 0n a horizontal axis in said structure disalined with saidpoints.

Q. In combination, vith a supporting structure, an extensible andcollapsible system ot parts including a pair of receiving membersarranged one above the other, and substantialllfif parallel leversconnecting and supporting said members and each fulcrumed between itspoints of pivotal connection with said members on. a horizontal axis insaid structure. one lever being adapted to abut against the other 4andlimit the extending movement of saidis vstem of parts.

-l. In combinz'ition, with a supporting structure. an extensible andcollapsible system of parts including a pair of receiving membersarranged one above the other. and substantially parallel leversconnecting and supporting said members and each fulcrumed between itspoints of Apivotal connection with said members on a horizontal axis insaid structure, said levers having means to interlock them in theextended position of said system ot parts. l

4. In combination, with a supporting' structure, an extensible andcollapsible s vsteni of parts including a pair of receiving membersarranged one above the other and substantially parallel leversconnecting and supporting said membersandeach tulcrumcd between itspoints of pivotal commotion with said members on a horizontal axis insaid structure. said levers having toothed means to interlock themin'thcexte'nded position of said system of parts.

' 5. In combination, with a supporting structm'e, an extensible andcollapsible svstem of parts inclucing a pair of receiving membersarranged one'above the other, and substantially parallel leversfulcrunied on horizontal in said structure between their ends and havingtwo corresponding short arms and two corresponding long arms. thelshf-t. arms being disposed angularly relativ.. to the long arms, and oneloo ISO member being pivoted to the long arms, and

the other pivoted to the short arms, of said levers.

6. In combination, with n supporting 5 structure, an extensible andcollapsible system of parts including a receiving member,

substantially parallel leverseach fulcrumed' on a horizontal axis insaid structure and pivtllyxconneeted with said member, a 10 cover.member pivoted at one side thereof to one side of the first-namedmember, and connecting means between the cover member andone of saidlevers.

7. In combination, Wit-h a supporting 15 structure', an extensible andcollapsible sys- HENRY BRAEN.

Witnesses:

J oi-IN lV. S'rnWAmn` WM. D. BELL.

